Butter dispenser



Aug. 24 1926. 7 1,597,149

I. G. JOHNSON 2-:- AL.

BUTTON'DISPENSER Filed Jan. 14, 1924 A TTORNE Y8 Patented Aug. 24, 1926.

I UNITED STATES PATENT orr ca.

IRENE GRANT JOHNSON, F SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, AND PETER O BERG-,0? CHICAGO, ILLINOIS; SAID BERG ASSIGNOR T0 SAID JOHNSON.

BUTTER DISPENSER.

Application filed January 14, 1924. Serial No. 686,225.

Our invention relates to improvements in butter dispensers and more particularly to that type of device employed in a restaurant or the like for dispensing butter in small prints suitable for use upon the table.

An object of our invention isto provide a device of the type described in which the butter may remain in relatively large pieces, and in which means is provided for '10 severing a portion of butter of predetermined size and weight, and subse uently releasing this severed'portion or print so that it may drop upon a plate held beneath the device.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the type described in which the butter is kept in a cold condition by means of ice and ice water until it is actually ready for use. p

A further object'of our invention is to provide a device of the type described which may be operated with but one hand, thereby permitting the operator to employ the other land for holding a plate or the like upon 25 which the print may be delivered.

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the type described in which means is provided for varying the thickness of the print of butter at will. I

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the type described which is constructed entirely of material which will not alter the edible properties of the butter when brought into contact therewith. This material ma also bereadily cleansed and kept in a flesh condition at all times. 7

A further object of our invention is to provide a device of the type described, 40 which is durable, compact in form, and

thoroughly practical commercially.

Other subjects and advantages will appear in the following specificatlon, and the novel features of the invention will be par- 45 ticularl'y pointed out in the appended claim. Our invention'is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming part of this application, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of our invention,

Figure 2 is a sectional view line 2-2 of Figure 1,

along the t Figure 3 is a view along the line. 3-3 of Figure 2, and

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the mechanism shown in Figure 1.

In carrying out our invention, we make use of a stand A comprising a relatively horizontal platform 1 supported by a plurality of legs 2. In the present instance we supply three of the supporting legs 2.

An upwardly extending flange 3 is formed at the peripheral ed e of the platform 1 so that liquid upon t e platform may not flow be ond theedge of the platform. An upwar ly extending boss 4 is disposed at the exact center of the circular platform 1 and is provided for the purpose of centering a butter containing receptacle B. This receptacle B is constructed of metal enameled inside and out after the fashion of the enamel coating placed upon cooking utensils and known as porcelain ware.

This receptacle B consists in a bottom wall 5 having a recess 6 at the exact center thereof for receiving a boss 4 by means of which the receptacle is centered upon the platform 1. The receptacle is further provided with a pair of concentric side walls 7 and 8, there being a space between the parallel side walls 7 and 8 in which water is placed for a purpose hereinafter described.

A plurality of longitudinally extending tubular members 9 are provided within the receptacle B, one wall of each of said tubular members 9 comprising a portion of the wall 8. These members 9 are constructed so as to permit a section of butter to be placed therein weighing substantially one-half pound, and having the cross section equivalent to the cross section of an ordinary print of butter. Normally these sections of butter, indicated at 10, are formed by cutting a one pound brick of butter into four longitudinally extending sections, and two such sections are placed in each of the tubular members 9.

The members 9 are open at their lower ends so that the butter 10 may rest directly upon the platform 1, (see Figure 2). These members 9 of course are open at their upper end for the introduction of sections of butter therein. p Y

opening 11 therethrough in registration I with the open lower ends 12 of the tubular members 9 as the receptacle B is rotated upon its support 46.

Means for locking the receptacle B so that one of the tubular members 9 is in axial registration with the opening 11 is provided for by means of a plurality of ribs 13 extending longitudinally of the receptacle B onits outer wall 7. There is one rib 13 for each of the tubular members 9. A locking member comprising a metal strip 1 1 pivotally mounted at 15 to the base member A and provided with a socket portion 16 is provided for engaging with th rib- 13 to prevent rotation of the receptacle when the strip 1 1 is in the position shown in Figure 1, (full lines). When the strip 14 is moved to the position shown in dotted lines, however, the receptacle B may be freely moved on its axis so that either of the tubular members 9 may be moved into registration with the opening 11.

That space indicated at 17 within the inner wall 8 is for the purposeof containing cracked ice so that the ice may enter in the spaces 18 between the adjacent side walls of the tubular members 9 and serve to absorb the heat from the butter and keep the butter in a cool condition, and therefore in a proper consistency for use. The cracked ice in the portion ,17 also serves to cool the water in the space between th walls 7 and 8 and thereby absorb the heat through the portions of the wall 8 forming a part of the v tubular members 9.

A. drain groove 19 is provided on the top wall of the platform 1 and a plug 20 is disposed in an opening 21 through the bottom wall ofthe receptacle B. This opening 21 is in registration with the annular groove 19. When the plug 20 is removed, the water may be drained from the receptacle B from the groove 19 and out through a drain 22. If the plug is in the position shown in Figure 2, however, no water will be drained from th receptacle B.

A cover 23 having a handle portion 24 is provided for the receptacle B to protect the contents of the receptacle from both heat and dust.

Means for severing a portion of the butter sections in the tubular members 9 to form a print ofbutter suitable for use upon th table is provided in a slidably mounted cutter consisting of a cutting blade 25 su ported by means of a pair of parallel slide members 26, having a handle 27 of glass or other suitable material at the forward end thereof. This slide member 26 is fur" ther provided with a stop 28 disposed in a plane beneath the plane of the cutter 25 and the distance between the planes ofthe member 28 and cutting member 25 is equivalent tion.

to the thickness of the print of butter to be cut.

The thickness of this butter print may be varied by interposing one or a plurality of plates 29 upon the plate 28 in th manner shown in Figure 2. The slide members26 are slidably supported upon suitable slideways 30 carried on the under surface of the platform 1.

Y Means for limiting the longitudinal movement of the slide members 26 is provided in a bolt 31 secured to the under surfac of the plate 28 and extending through a depending lug 32. A nut 33 is disposed upon the outer end of the bolt 31, which is threaded to receive the nut so that the nut 33 may engage with the lug 32 and therefore limit the longitudinal movement of the bolt 31 and the slide members 26. Qbviously, the position of the nut 33 upon the bolt 31, may be varied to vary; the limit of longitudinal movement of the member 26, and consequently the cutting blade 25.

' From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Let us assume that the sections of butter have been disposed in the tubular members 9 in the manner heretofore set fopth, and the ice is in the portion 17 of the receptacle. The device is therefore ready for use since the device will keep the butter 10 in a sufiiciently hard state to permit its being cut into small prints which may retain their definite form.

In operating the device, the operator will first make certain that the strip 1 1 is in the position shown in Figure 1 that is, in engagement with one of the ribs 13 and also that the tubular member 9 is in registration with the opening 11 which contains a section of butter or a portion of a section. If this be true, movement of the handle 27 toward the platform 1, as revealed in Figure 2, will cause the blade 25 to sever a portion of the butter section, th lower end of which is resting upon the stop member 28, (and a single gauge plate 29 in the present instance). This print of butter will drop from beneath the stop member 28 when the stop plate is moved sufiiciently to clear the bottom of the butter section upon a plate which the operator will hold beneath the opening 11. The butter section will be supported by the blade 25 which will bear upon a portion of the lower surface of the sechandle 25 away from the platform 1 so that the section may drop upon the stop member 28, whereby it is ready for a new The operator will then draw the 28. Each of the members 29 has, a predetermined thickness.

When all of the butter has been exhausted, it is merely necessary to lower the strip 14 to the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and to manually rotate the receptacle B so that the member 9 containing a butter section is moved into regist ration with the opening 11. This is made certain by the fact that the portion 16 may engage with one of the ribs 13 and the container will be locked against further rotative .iovement.

When the ice Within the portion 17 of the receptacle has melted, the plug 20 may be Withdrawn and the water drained through the annular groove 19"and the drain passage 22, or if it isdesired, this drain may be left open all the time and a suitable receptacle placed beneath the platform to receive the water as it is formed by the meltin ice. I

Means for assuring the delivery of the severed print of butter from the cutting mechanism is provided in a plate 40 pivotally supported at 41 upon the slide members 26 of the cuttin device. .This plate 40 has a counter weight 42 at the rearmost end thereof, which causes the plate to assume the position shown in Figures 2 and 3 A portion of the plate 40 is arranged to exactly underlie a portion of the cuttin blade as shown at 43. The plate 40 is urther provided with downwardly extending integral cam portions 44 which are arranged to contact with a stop member 45 carried by the platform 1 by means of which the plate 40 is pivoted or tilted upon its pivotal support 41 in such a manner as to cause the downward movement of the severed print into a suitable receptacle provided or held therebeneath.

We claim:

A butter dispensing device of the character described comprising a means for holding a plurality of sections of butter, a platform, a butter cutting member carried by said platform and having a blade for severing portions of said butter sections therefrom, saidbutter holding means being arranged for manual movement relative to said plat-form so that the sections of buttercontained therein may be brought into registration with said butter cutting memberselectively, plates for varying the thickness of the butter portions severed by said cutting member, means for delivering the butter portions from said cutting member, said means comprising a plate pivotally mounted on said cutting mechanism, a portion of said plate arranged to underlie a portion of said plate, a counter weight at the rearmost end of said plate to keep plate in normal position, and means for swinging said plate about its pivot thus delivering the butter portions from said cutting member.

IRENE GRANT JOHNSON.

PETER O. BERG. 

